Typewriting machine



May 2211928.

A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRI TING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 22. 1928. v 1,670,513 A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1924 -2 sheets-sheet 2 Ava/key Patented May 22, 1928.

FATE

ALFRED G. F.- KUROWSKI, F BROOKLYN, NEW 'YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOID ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

' Application filedMarch 11, 1924. Serial No. 698,369.

This invention relates to'typewriting machines, and, with respect to its more specific features, to silent-key mechanism, that is, mechanism for disconnecting certain keys from the escapement mechanism, whereby to prevent feeding of the carriage during. the operation of such key or keys, while the ribbon-mechanism continues to be operated thereby.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a silent-key mechanism that is capable of adjustment in order that it may be connected with any selected key, regardless of the position of that key inthe keyboard.

Another feature is the provision in such mechanism of means moving with the universal bar, for transmitting its movement to the escapement mechanism, and normally in operative position to operate the escapement mechanism when the universal bar is moved in printing, an'd'moved out of operative position by the operation of a selected key, thereby to silence such key.

Another featureis the provision of means moving with the universal bar for transmitting the movement of said bar'to the escape ment mechanism, thereby to feed the carriage, and capable of adjustment to insure correct engagement between said means and the escapement mechanism;

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a longitudinal, vertical section at approximately the center of the machine.

Figure 2 is a partial plan view, with the center portion broken away.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the carriage-feeding elements, looking from above.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of Figure 3.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views to illustrate the several movements of the parts during the operation of the normal key, and during the operation of a silent key.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side view showing the connection between the ribbon-vibrator and the universal-bar carrying frame.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with a typewriting machine of the character shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 697,476, filed March 7, 19245. Said machine includes a suitable frame comprising tt'zasia ya back bar 10, side plates 11 and a front plate 13, connected togetherin any suitable manner to form a substantial rectangular frame. The back bar 10 is slotted longitudinally on its under faceto receive a fulcrum-rod 17, and'it is slotted transversely at suitable intervals to. receive the key-levers 14, said levers being notched or slotted as indicated at16 to engage. the fulcrum-rod. The key-levers are arranged alongside of each other in parallel relation, and they, are

normally pressed upward means of coilsprings 18, a spr ng being provided for each The springs are arranged between;

lever. the key-levers and a tension-plate 19 secured to the back bar 10 by means'of screws 12. The front plate 13 is vertically slotted at its upper edge to provide a'comb, between the teeth of which the keylevers'extend, and each lever has an upturned portion at its forward end provided with a key-cap 15.

The typing system includes a 'platen 20, a

type-bar rest 21,'and a segment 22, which carries a series of t 'e-bars' 23 the arts forming the usual'basket. The system is tilted, to bring the type-bar rest at about the level-of the platen, and the type-bars incline forwardly and rearwardly in rest and printing positions. 'Each type-bar is connected to thecorresponding key-lever by a bell-crank 24, and a link 25., The bellcranks 24 are pivoted on a common support '26. The support is slotted longitudinally to receive a fulcrum-rod27, and it is slotted transversely at suitable intervals to receive the bell-cranks. The links 25 connect the" transmitting arms of the bell-cranks to operating arms or heels 28 on the type-bars, and each bell-crank isslidably .connected to its key-lever by a pin-and-slot connection, indicated at 29. g Y I The universal bar 30 is suspended within a groove at the rear of the segment, in a po'' sition such that it will be first engaged by the type-bars as they reach a vertical position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. Each type-bar is provided with aneX- tension 20 on its rear edge and'nearthe fulcrum-rod, for engaging the universal bar when the type-bar attains the abovementioned position, and themovement of each type-bar is untrammeled until it reaches the vertical. ranged behind the'segment, and iscon'nectied to the universal bar by forwardly-extend A swinging plate 31'is ar ing arms 32. The 'plate issupported in its swinging movement by a lug 33 extending upwardly and forwardly from the plate threagh guide-opening in the segment, and

by links 34 pivoted to the rear bar and to arms 35 extending rearward from the This plate 31 is normally swinging plate. drawn forward by a spring 36, arranged between the plate and a fixedbracket 37 con nected with the common support for the bell eranl s, and it is limited in its forward.

movementby a stop v38 on said bracket.

The escapement device maybe of usual construction, comprising, in the present instance, a rocker 39" mounted to rock on a I back "plate 40 of'the carriage-shift frame,

therocking connection being indicated'at 41, The 'rocker is provided fat its ;upper edge withla 1 single tooth' '42," which serves as a holding dog for the teeth of the escapementwheel 43. v Therocker is spring-pressed forwardly by a compression-spring 44, ar-

ranged between it an d the back plate,and'

it-is moved rearwardlyby means, to be pres ward movementof the rocker is limited by F ently described, mounted upon the swinging plate 31, and normallyin position l'to transmit the n'lovement of the universal bar to the escapement' -ro'cker.

The forward movement of the rocker un- I der the influence of the spring is limited means ofan adjustable stop mounted upon a bracket 46 secured to the back plate of the carriage-shift frame, and the rear"- a stop-pin 47, also on the backplate stepping dog 48, in the form'ofan elbowlever, is pivotally mounted upon the rocker at49, and a spring 50 is connectedwith the dog. Thestepping arm of the dog,-that is,

the; arm which" engages the escapementwheel, is limited in its movement under the influence of the carriage by a stop 51 Onthe rocker, and the spring is arranged between the rocker and the other arm.

The means for transmitting the movement ofthe universahbar to the escapement includes a swinging member 53, which is pivotally mounted on the swinging plate 31, nearone end thereof. This member extends transversely of the plate31, and it is normally held erect, and in positionto transmit the movement of the universal bar to the .escapement-rocker, by, means of a spring 54,Qarranged between the member and the triangle, the bas seated on the swinging plate and the side facing the back plate of the carriage-shift frame; At this angle of the member, an adjustable shoe 56 is arranged,said shoe being capable of adjustmenttoward and fronith'e esoa pem'ent-i'oc'ker by means of screws 57- passing th'rongh a slot inthe shoe and engaging the member 53, The "shoe 56 is positioned to abut, when it moves rearw ardly the free end of an arm 58, secured to the front face of the escapement-rocker. It will be evident that, when the shoe strikes the arm 58 in its rearward movement, the escapement -rocker will be rocked .rearwardly,thus operatinghto feed the carriage. v I

In typewriting machines designed for printing certain languages, it is desirable that there no feed of the carriage with certain keys, which operate the type-bars printing. certain characters, as, for instance, accent-indications and the like. In order'to permit the printing ,of'su'chcharacters without feeding of the carriage, the keys print-' ingethe characters are made silent, that is,

mechanism is operated thereby which pres vents the universal bar actuatingthe escape ment during themovement of'su ch keys and type-bars. In the present instance, the

member 53 is provided, to be moved by certain selected keys, out of operative position to transmit the movementof the universal bar to the escapement-rockerJ In order to move the member out of opera'tive position, a link 59 is mounted 'to slideon the back plate of the carriage-shift-frame, above mentioned, and the link carries, adjacent the member 53, a fi nger 60'which is in position" to engage. themember adjacent the'shoe.

The finger is at that facelof the m'ember adjacent the spring, and, :when the link is moved in the opposite direction,"the member will be moved against the tension of the' spring into inoperative position, that is'fout of position to engage the arm 58' when the universal bar moves rearwardly,

The link is normallyheld out of engagement with the member 53 by a spring 61, arranged between the same and the back plate, and is moved in theopposite direction bymeans ofan elbow-lever62, pivoted'on a; bracket 63 extendingforward from the back plate. The link is pivoted to one of the arms of the elbow-lever, and a link 64 is connectedwith the other arm; This link extends forwardly 'to a connection with a radial arm 65 on a shaft 66, which is journaled in bearings in the side plates 11 of the frame, and near the front plate 13. The shaft 66 extends above all of the key-levers, and mechanism is provided for permitting any selected key-to oscillate the shaft'to move the member 53 into inoperative position; I

The silent key maybe in' any'part of the keyboard, and preferably it is arranged adjacent that character, or to those characters, with which itco-ope rates. Wherever arranged, as forinstance inthe position occupied by the key 69, a cam-finger 67 is mounted on the shaft 66 adjacent the lever of the key. This finger hasa bearing encircling the shaft, and movable longitudinally thereof, and held in adjustedposition by means of a set-screw, as shown. A pin 68 is connected with the selectedkeylever, for engaging the edge of the camfinger. Referring to Figure 1, it will be noticed that the cam-finger inclines forwardly toward its lower end, so that the pin tends to oscillate the shaft to move the link 59 in the direction to cause it to swing the member 53 out of operative position.

It will be evident from the description that the' operating mechanism for the shaft, that is, the means for operatively connecting the silent key to the shaft and to the member 53, may bearranged adjacent any key on thekeyboard, or any number of keys.

. Since'this adjustment may be made at any time, it is not necessary to vary from a stock pattern in incorporating the silent-key mechanism. To connect the silent mechanism with any key, it is onlynecessary to ad just the cam'finger adjacent-thereto, and to connect the pin therewith, each key-lever be ing provided with a hole to receive the .pin 68. With this arrangement any selected key or any number of keys may be made silent. l/Vhen the silent key is depressed, the shaft 66 is oscillated, the link 59 is moved against the resistance ofthe spring,

and the member 53 is swung out of position to engage the arm 58, so that the escapement mechanism is not operated to feed the carriage. The link 59 is guided at the end adjacent the member 53, and limited in its movement, bya screw 88 connectedto the back plate, the screw engaging a slot 89 in the end of the link. 7 V V The movement of the several parts when a regular key is operated, and when a silent key is operated, is shown in Figures to 8, Figures 5 and 6 showing the operation with the ordinary key, and Figures 7 and 8 showing the operation with the silent key. When the member 53 is moved rearwardly withthe parts in the position of Figures 5 and 6, it will engage the arm 58 and swing the rocker, to move the stepping dog out of the plane of the escapement-wheel, and to bring the holding dog into said plane. On the return movementof the key-lever, the advancing teeth of the, escapement-wheel will engage the stepping dog 48, which. is meanwhile held in the dotted-line.position of Figure 4 by the spring 50, and will swing the dog to the right of Figure 4 and into engagement with the stop 51, at which time the movement of the carriage under the influence of the drum 90 will be-stopped.

When, however, the member 53 is swung from the position of Figure 7, to that of Figure 8, by the operation of the silent key,

.said member will .not engage the arm 58,

therev willv be no movement of the escapenient-wheel rocker, and, as a consequence, no

feed of the carriage. i

Referring to Figure 4L, it willbe noticed that the end of the spring .50 remote from stepping dog in the dotted-line position of. Figure at. When so held, the stepping dog is inposition to be engaged by the escape-- ment-wheel when it is moved into the plane thereof, and the carriage feeds, while at the same time it offers little or no resistance to the return movement of the carriage. The extent of the swinging movement of the stepping dog under the influence of the spring and its ultimate position, when free from the esoapement-wheel, is determined by the arrangement of the spring.

The arrangement of the parts abovedescribed permits the stepping dog to swing freely in the direction in which it is moved during the return of the carriage, and the clicking noise, resulting from the engagement of the, stepping dogwith the escapement-wheel during such return movementof the carriage, is greatly reduced, or entirely eliminated. A

The carriage moves on a pair of fixed rails 72 and 73, which co-operate with similar rails 74 on the carriage. The rails 74 are connected at their ends by plates 75 which support the platen 20. Each end plate has. a 'forwardly-extending lug or ear 78, and levers 80 are pivoted to theear's, as indicated at 79. The levers extend downwardly and rearwardly through openings in the carriage-base-plate, and the lower ends thereof are connected with the carriage-feed rack 81, engaging the escapement-pinion 82. Afinger-lever 83 is pivoted on the platen-shaft,

the forward end thereof being movably connected with a short arm 84; forming a part of the lever 80. \Vhen the finger-lever is depressed, the levers 80 will be rocked in a direction to raise the feed-rack 81, to release it from the pinion 82. The rack is normally held in engagement with the pinion by a spring 85 arranged between the lever. 83 and the adjacent end plate. To limit the movement of the levers 80under the influence of the spring 85, they arev formed with stop faces 87, which strike theupper face of the carriage baseplate adjacent the openingsthrough fiwhich' the levers pass, 1 thereby to limit the downward movement. of the levers.

The ribbon-vibrating mechanism may be like that-disclosed in my (lo-pending applica tion, Serial No. 710,528, filed May 2, 1924.

Saidribbon-vibrating mechanism may comprise a bracket 95, fixed on the face of the back plate 40, which bracket supports the pivotal end of a ribbon-vibrator-lever 96, extending-forward nearly to the rear face of theltype-bar segn'1ent 22, where its free end is 5 connected-to a ribbon-carrier 97 slidably mounted upon a 'stationary type-guide 98 secured to the type-bar segment 22.

The vibrator-lever 96 is actuated by a toggle-link 99 'pivotally connected in a slotted lug 100 on the plate or universal-barcarrier '31, and is arranged to raise the ribbon--vibrator-lever'96 and the ribbon-carrier 97 to cover the printing field of the type by a'ribbon 101 each time the carrier is actuatedbya type bar.

From the. foregoing, it will be understood 1 that the universal-bar carrier or supporting frame 31 is provided with two brackets or extensions, the pivoted extension 53 and the' lug or extension 100;and that the pivoted extension 53 may beswung laterally by some of the keys, so that the =ribbon may be vibrated by the universal-bar through the medium of the extension 100 without actuatm the escapement mechanism.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim-:1

l.- In-a typewriting machine, the combination with an escapement and a key-actuated universal bar, of means moving with the universal bar normally in position-to transmit the movement of the bar to the escapement, and means including a rock-shaft having a cam-arm engaged by the operation of a selected key to shift said transmitting means into inoperative position'durin'g the operation of said key.

2. In 'a typewriting machine, the combination'with an escapement and a key-actuated universal bar, of means normally in positionto transmit the movement of the bar to the .escapement, and adjustable to determineconnectedversal' bar normally in position to tr,ansmit;,.=

:the movement OfthGbLIy-tO the escapementy.

and adjustable. to determine.theextentnofw? movement of thetescapement under thenimr-x;

pulse of the universalbar, a rrock=shaftzwopei41w. eratively connected to shift sitidtransmattingW means out OfOPQIatlVQ position, and a cams:

.on said shait't'engageable: by a selected'lkeyr to convey a rocking movementto said shafts;

said canibeing adjustable upon said shaftto .375

determine the extent'of movement "thereof- 4.: In a typewriting.macl1ine,th'ecombinae tion with a carriage and a key-actuated typebar, ofa carriage-feeding mechanism includes.

mg, an escapement-rocker, a universal vbarH .dIlVQIl by thetype-bar 1n typing, a carrier-s for the universal bar and movable therewith, an intermediary onthet carrier having; an interruptive CODDQCCIOII' to'. the escapement- 3 rocker, and a rock-shafthaving a connect-ionzt fi to the intermediary, said sliafthaving a cam engageable by the key to I. impart movement-S" to the intern'iediary and deflectnthe'drivingd transmission of the universal: bar :from thei escapement-rocker. 1

5. In a typewriting machine, the combina- Y. tion with an escapement, akey-actuated uni versal bar, and a vibratory frame for the uni-- vcrsalbar, ofmeans mounted upon said frame independent of the escapement andnormally spring held in position at right angles to the frame to transmit the movement ofthebarf and frame to theesca'pement, meansto shift? said transmitting means against the tension of'the spring and out of operativeposition to 'the escapement,-and means-for operatively' connecting saidshifting means to a selected key, said last-mentioned means in? cluding a shaft anda cam thereonforem gagement bythe key. i

6; In atypew'r iting machine, t-heeombinm 7 tion with a carriage-having a carriage-feed ing mechanism that includes-an escapement-- rocker, of typing elementsincludingtypebars and key-levers provided "with keysto .110

form a keyboard, a universal bar operated'by each type-bar in typing, a'carrier' for the" universal bar to be vibrated therewith, a member pivoted upon the:carrierynorm'ally in operative alignment to -vibrate the escapement-rocker at each movement of-theurii versal bar, a rock-shaft mounted over "the key-levers adjacent/to the keyboard, anarme carried by the rock-shaftadj acent to asele'cb"v ed key, means carried by said key to engagey I said arm and rockthe shaft, andwatrain Of-i. connections between the rock-shaft and'said member on the carrier whereby said member will be deflected out of alignment with-there escapement-rocker to silence the carriage-41 feeding mechanism when a selected key is";

depressed to type.

7 In a typewriting machine, the combination with acarriageffeeding mechanism andv a type-bar actuated by a. universalbarpperable from a keyboard, of a carrier for the the keyboard, connections intermediate the universal bar including a frame movable rock-shaft and carriagefeeding-actuating 10 therewith, a ribbon-vibrator, means carried means, and a cam on the rock-shaft operable by said frame to operate said ribbon-vibrator by a selected key to silence the carriage- 5 in unison With the universal bar means carfeedingactuating means Without silencing ried by said frame to normally operate the the ribbon-vibrator in typing. carriage-feeding mechanism in unison with i the ribbon-vibrator, a rock-shaft adjacent ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI. 

